Jury Issues Verdict in Google Antitrust Case

(RepublicanPress.org) – In 2020, Epic Games sued Apple for its App Store practices. The company claimed that Apple placed unfair restrictions on apps regarding in-app purchasing outside of its own payment systems. The court ruled mostly in favor of Apple, saying the company didn’t have a monopoly, but ordered it to stop prohibiting developers from pointing to other payment methods. Epic Games also sued Google for similar antitrust reasons.

On December 11, a jury in the US District Court of Northern California found that Google’s Android payment practices in its app store created anti-competitive barriers, damaging customers and software developers. The decision came after just three hours of deliberation following a month-long trial. According to the Associated Press, Epic Games claimed that Google was abusing its power by preventing competition in its Play Store. The jury unanimously agreed.

Jury decides against Google’s app store in antitrust lawsuit https://t.co/O9Vfc0goij pic.twitter.com/qs6C3sLZH3

— The Hill (@thehill) December 12, 2023

While the decision was up to a group, the next steps in the case will be up to US District Judge James Donato. He will take the jury’s findings and decide what Google will have to do to remedy the situation. That is set to happen in January.

Epic CEO Tim Sweeney posted on social media after the verdict. He thanked everyone for their support in the company’s quest to end the Google monopoly. The AP reported that Sweeney broke out into a huge smile and slapped his lawyer on the back when the jury returned its verdict. In another post, he called the decision “historic” and called for legislation that would prevent these practices from re-occurring. The CEO said it was a “win for all developers and consumers around the world.”

Google Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Policy Wilson White also spoke out after hearing the jury’s decision. He told The Hill Google plans to appeal. White refuted the verdict, stating that his company provided more openness and choice “than any other major mobile platform.”